CNSA 610: Foundations of Counseling - Akgul: What's it like to be...?

Professional identity development is an emerging area for alcohol and drug counselors. Few studies have investigated professional identity in alcohol and drug counselors (Ogborne, Braun, & Schmidt, 2001; Massella, Simons, Young, Haas, & Toth 2013). The goal of the current study is to add to this area of research. A total of 1, 333 certified addiction professionals were recruited to take part in an online survey about professional and recovery identity and professional development. The survey response rate was 20.7%. Most participants were White females with a graduate degree. Less than half of the participants identified themselves as in recovery from substance abuse. Alcohol and drug professionals with a recovering identity work with different populations, use different modalities and subscribe to different theoretical orientations compared to those professionals without a recovering identity. The need to recognize and promote alcohol and drug professionals' identity is paramount for securing addiction counseling as a distinct discipline or counseling specialty in the behavioral health field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School counselors play a key role in promoting students’ academic achievement, social and emotional development, and college and career readiness. The author reviews the research on counselors’ work in these areas and discusses how schools can ensure that their counselors are better able to succeed in supporting students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counselor educators ( N= 378) provided their viewpoints regarding the impact of counselor identity on professional advancement and recognition. Respondents indicated that counselors, the American Counseling Association, and other counseling organizations are responsible for advocacy of the counseling profession. Collaboration among counselors for the development of a single coherent message is necessary for advocacy efforts aimed at congressional Medicare leaders, managed care organizations, state licensing boards, and allied professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated college and university counseling center directors' perceptions of the adequacy of the preparation of master's-level counselors for work in college and university counseling centers. Results indicated that counselors were rated on average as prepared; however, many directors had concerns about counselors' ability to work with students presenting more severe mental health issues. Findings are discussed, and implications for the training and preparation of college counseling practitioners are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special issue of Professional School Counseling on "School Counselors Transforming Schools for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Students" contains six empirical studies practicing school counselors and school counselor educators can use to inform their own training and refine their interventions with LGBTQ students in order to transform the school environment into an affirming one for LGBTQ students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]